Page 36 of Say Yes To The Fake Date

“I’m being clingy and needy, and this is not me.” I blow out a breath. “I don’t want to push you away with my insecurities. I’m just going to shut up now.”

He releases me enough so he can tug on my ponytail, effectively pulling my head so I’m looking up at him. “You’re not pushing me away. But you need to know that you have no reason to be insecure with me. I’m not that guy, Lucky. I wouldn’t cheat on you, and no matter how long it takes us, I’m going to prove to you that our love is real.”

I slide my hands up his chest and wrap them around his neck. “You’re going to prove it, huh? How do you plan on doing that?”

He doesn’t smile. I’m expecting his answer to be something sexual, but he floors me when he says, “Marrying you.”

I gasp. “Marrying me?”

He rolls his eyes. “Are we back to that? You going to repeat everything I say again? Yes, marrying you. I know you’re not ready, but when you are, I’m going to ask you to be my wife, Luciana Raven. I’m going to make you mine. Wehave a lot of time to make up for, and I don’t want to waste a second of it.”

I swallow hard. Marriage to Dominic would be a dream come true, and this makes me even more set on getting my life put back together. I need to get my part of the business back and then be done with Ray. Dom and I deserve a fresh start. I loop an arm around his neck and with the other hand, I’m tracing hearts on his chest. “You’re right. I’m not ready. I need to take care of—” instead of saying ‘Ray,’ I say, “a few things, and then I’ll be ready.”

He puts a hand to the side of my face. “As long as you know that I’m going to be by your side the whole time we’re taking care of these things, Lucy.”

I can’t help but repeat after him, “We? We’re taking care of these things?”

He just nods real big. “Yeah, we. You and me. We’re together, babe.”

I don’t hold back. “I love you, Dominic Evans.”

He just smiles. “I’ll never get tired of hearing that. I love you too, Luciana Raven, soon to be Luciana Evans.”

And before I can ask him how soon, he’s kissing me until I forget about everything else but me and him.

18

DOMINIC

I’m pacing up and down the hallway of the hospital. Haven is in labor. The rest of my family is in the waiting room, but I couldn’t stand sitting there a second longer. I pull out my phone, wanting to call Lucy, but I know she’s with her mom this morning.

I take a deep breath. The waiting is killing me. I can just imagine how I’m going to be when Lucy has our baby.

“You doing okay, brother?”

My brother Gabe stops beside me. His long hair is in a ponytail, and he looks like he hasn’t slept in a week. “I’m good. How you doing?”

He shrugs. “I just came off an all-nighter. I had to work the brush fire out on Mutton Hollow.”

“Anyone hurt?”

He runs his hands across his face. “Nope, no injuries, but it was a bitch.”

“Go home and go to bed. King will understand.”

He just shakes his head. “Hell no. My niece is being born. I’m not going to miss this.”

I point to the coffee vending machine. “Coffee?”

“Hell yeah.”

I get two cups. Gabe practically guzzles his before I even take a sip. “Damn, I guess it’s a good thing it’s lukewarm. I thought you were going to scorch your throat.”

He just laughs. “I’m used to the heat.”

We stand and shoot the shit about everything and nothing. I finish off the cup of coffee and throw it in the wastebasket, and as I turn, I see Lucy coming through the door.

My smile is instant, and I start walking toward her. It’s not until I see her mom walking beside her that my smile drops and I slow down. Fuck. I want to pull Lucky into my arms and kiss her like I would if we were at the garage, but I know I can’t do that.

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